Storm with ice, snow and rain to thwart weekend plans across central US

At a time of year when shopping, putting up outdoor decorations and searching for the perfect Christmas tree is at a fever pitch, an impending storm will cause problems in the form of snow, ice and rain in some parts of the Great Plains to the Midwest. this weekend, AccuWeather meteorologists say.

The storm will quickly consolidate over the Plains Friday night into Saturday after moving through the Rockies last week. As moisture is drawn from the Gulf of Mexico, an area of ​​rain showers from Texas to Kansas will extend northeastward into colder air, where wintry precipitation will occur from Nebraska and Kansas. Iowa to Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Motorists may encounter slippery conditions during the Friday evening commute around Omaha, Nebraska, and Des Moines, Iowa, to name a few major cities in the region. Further south, rain, poor visibility and stagnant roads can slow travel, especially around Kansas City, Missouri, and Little Rock, Arkansas.

As the storm continues to progress Saturday, the icy and wintry mix will change to rain along much of Interstate 80, but the area of ​​ice and snow will expand to the northeast.

Rain is expected to fall Saturday from the storm around Chicago and most likely downtown Milwaukee, but farther north, an icy and slippery mix is ​​forecast from Rochester, Minnesota, to Madison and Green Bay, Wisconsin. Even a thin layer of ice can be dangerous for motorists and pedestrians.

Further north, around Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Minneapolis and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, a layer to a few inches of snow and sleet will accumulate from Saturday and Saturday night’s storm, along with areas of fog that may slow travel.

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Airline delays may be significant near and within the Midwest snow and ice zone due to de-icing operations Friday evening through Saturday evening.

Rain will move east south of the storm’s track Saturday and Saturday night over the Middle and Lower Mississippi Valley, as well as the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys. A few thunderstorms may rumble in this area, with the potential for a few severe thunderstorms that could bring strong wind gusts locally.

Precipitation is expected to ease around Detroit and Cleveland. However, in these areas most, if not all, of the precipitation will fall as rain overnight Saturday into Sunday evening. Fog and puddles on the roads can be the biggest problems for travelers.

As the storm continues northeast, it will encounter a lingering stream of cold air from the Appalachian mountains and valleys to the Piedmont regions just to the east. Depending on the severity of the cold wedge, snow or an icy mix is ​​expected Sunday into Sunday evening.

Milder air from the Pacific Ocean will follow the storm late this weekend into the first half of next week. However, some sneaky cold air could invade around mid-week, which could be just enough to produce a narrow band of snow with a storm near the Atlantic coast Wednesday through Thursday, much like the one in the late last week in the eastern Tennessee and Ohio Valleys and eastern Great Lakes.

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